Infested
by Hawki
Summary: Oneshot: What better way to fight monsters than become one yourself? Hopefully, quite a few.


**Infested**

For some reason, the prospect of dying didn't bother Deborah Green.

She always knew she'd die. Everyone would die at some point or another, that was a fact that had existed as long as the human race had. Working as a miner in the Kel-Morian Combine, even after rising to the position of guildmaster, she was well aware that chances were she'd die from a cave-in, inhalation of toxic substances, or fall into a catacomb somewhere. And six years ago, the universe had given humanity a whole plethora of new ways to die, ranging from being torn apart by zerg, incinerated by the protoss, or if you were unlucky, both (or lucky, if the latter interrupted the former). And now, weeks ago, scuttlebutt was that a whole lot of terrans were dying all over the sector, directed by a force for which death was the ends, not the means.

So, right now, lying inside the hold of a crashed shuttle on Jarban Major, shot down by a flock of mutalisks, she knew she'd likely be dead soon, and that didn't bother her. By some miracle, she'd survived the crash, even if the handful of miners that had joined her had died on impact, or succumbed to their wounds soon afterwards. Either she'd die from blood loss, dehydration, or the zerg would come to finish what they started. Such was the need to escape the monsters at their door that the shuttle hadn't even been stocked properly. So all she had was a single flask of water, some rations that would probably kill her, and a slugthrower.

 _So,_ she wondered, lying against the craft's interior, holding the pistol in one hand and her stomach in the other. _Which way then?_

There was a 'clank' against the shuttle hatch.

 _Death by zerg I guess._

She rose the slugthrower upwards, pointing it towards the entrance. It would be useless. Maybe it could take out a zergling, but that was it, and zerg never travelled alone. It would be much better to just shoot herself now and be done with it.

The hatch began to open. Her hand was shaking.

 _I don't want to die._

Her body was in a state of fight or flight. Overriding logic and reason, as instinct kept the gun raised, pointed towards the door, and not her head. Adrenalin prevented her from turning the gun on herself. Hope, the deadliest drug of all, made her believe that somehow, she'd survive. That she'd live, that she'd get back to Moria, and-

A clawed hand made its way through the hatch, forcing it open. Not the scythe of a hydralisk, but of something far worse. An infested terran. The worst monster of them all.

 _Want to live, want to live…_

The hatch opened, and she let out a yell, firing one round after another at the monstrosity that walked into the gloom. Fired even as the creature stood there. Kept pulling the trigger even after the magazine ran try. Lowered it, as tears made their way down her face, as it stood there. If the bullets had harmed it, there was no sign of any damage.

"Hmm," the monster said, causing her to blink. Why was it just standing there? Why was it looking at her with…intelligence, she wondered? Something behind those glowing orange eyes? Was the monster actually _smiling_?

"I was shot six years ago," it said. He took a step towards her, causing her to recoil. "It's not something you get over."

Deborah opened her mouth, but no words came out. This… _thing_ …was talking to her. Actually opening and closing its mouth to communicate. This dressed up monster, with a turtleneck sweater, a captain's cap, a fekking _beard_ …

"Well, no matter. The zerg have been routed. He held out a hand – his left hand, the one that still looked human. "We'll get you back to Moria, though-"

"Get away from me!"

She swatted the hand away and rose to her feet unsteadily. There had to be some other weapon on this ship! This monster was clearly insane. Maybe she could use that to her advantage and kill it before it realized it was meant to kill her. Kill her, and not look like it she'd killed its pet dog.

"I understand," the monster said. "I don't think you want to see more like me right now."

"More like…" She trailed off. More like him. More infested terrans that had shambled towards the mining site, firing back at the defenders as they shambled forward, and even detonating themselves at the camp walls. Those walking bags of meat that had shambled even after the zerg had begun swarming into the site proper, tearing people apart as they'd fought or fled. Only a few had managed to escape in the shuttles. Dominion forces had been arriving, but the Dominion was the Dominion, and a new emperor wasn't going to change anything. But right now, she'd rather be talking to Arcturus Mengsk than this…thing.

And at least Arcturus Mengsk would have been easier to kill.

"Come on," the monster said. "Commander Raynor is offering you free passage to Gamma Dorian. You might be able to find your way back into Kel-Morian space there." He turned around and began to walk out of the shuttle. Slowly, Deborah stumbled after him. Not out of any need to be near the monster, but because at the least, she knew the name "Raynor." A sell-out who'd joined with the Dominion he'd sworn to overthrow, but anyone who'd fought against Mengsk earned at least some good will with her. She-

"Ugh."

…stumbled, and the monster turned around. "Are you injured?"

She nodded involuntarily. The monster reached out, and-

"Get away from me!" She swiped at him again, and he recoiled.

"Who are you?!" she yelled. "What are you? Are you like the queen? Did you join the zerg as well?"

"You might say that," he murmured, looking morose. He let out a sigh. "But as to who I am, you can call me Alexei Stukov."

Alexei Stukov. The name wasn't familiar to her. But that an infested terran could give a name at all was…well, not miraculous, but not weird. Somewhere in-between with a warp route towards insanity.

"I'm aware of the irony of the situation," the monster continued. "Saved by the monster who's of the same kind that tried to kill you. Sa…the queen, is aware of that as well." He smiled. "I like Kel-Morians, you know."

Deborah raised an eyebrow. Like, as in-

"You were quite cooperative six years ago. Soon as my fleet turned up, you agreed to work with us. Didn't lift a finger to help the Dominion."

His fleet, she reflected. Six years ago. Did he…was he referring to the UED, she wondered? She didn't recognise the symbol on his captain's cap. Could it be from her Earth-born cousins?

"Well, times change, I suppose." He forced a smile. "Come on, then. I think you might like some more human company."

She nodded, stumbling past him. Stukov…Stukov…no, the name didn't ring a bell. She recalled the name of the admiral who had led the fleet. What was it…Du…Da…Dee…?"

"DuGalle."

She spun round at him. _Oh, not a bloody-_

"Gerard DuGalle." He smiled once more. "Betrayed by the same monster I was."

Yep, he was a teep. A talking infested terran who was teeping her. No question about it – she'd died, and gone to la-la land.

"Well, anyway-"

"You're all monsters, you know."

But if she was in la-la land, she could at least be open about it.

"You're a freak," she whispered, even as she struggled to keep standing. "And if you're from Earth, then you're a slike. And if you were in the fleet you fekks sent six years ago…then you should have fekking died."

"I'd have thought-"

"Earthers are monsters. You were a monster then, and a monster now, and leaving the KMC alone doesn't change anything." She spat at him. "Go to hell."

She stumbled out towards the night. Maybe she could find Dominion forces and tell them that the infested terran that helped her was of the UED. Maybe they'd kill him for her. Goodness knew they had even more reason to hate Earthers than her.

 _I know I'm a monster._

She kept walking. She'd never look back at him. Never give him the time of day. Never thank a monster for saving her from monsters.

Never.

* * *

 _A/N_

 _Awhile ago, I saw a comment that made me smirk concerning the mission_ Miner Interuption _. That if the civilians are terrified of the infested terrans attacking them, how would they react to Stukov's forces? Anyway, drabbled this up as a result._


End file.
